When Eliana Watters-Cowan was told she was umpiring a Western Football League men’s division 1 match, she didn’t think much about it.
Only when she was told that she would be the first female to be a field umpire for a division 1 match did she realise the significance.
“I was happy, I was like oh that’s really cool,” she said. “Then [director of umpiring] Lachlan [Harty] got on to me later on and said I was probably the first female umpire debuting, unless there was an exchange program with a female.
“As soon as I heard that, I was like ‘oh my gosh, what?’ That made it a bit more exciting.”
In her first season in the Western league, it never crossed Watters-Cowan’s mind that she might create some history when she stepped onto the field for the Spotswood and Hoppers Crossing game.
She said it made it even more special.
“I’ve come from New South Wales and in my league down there, we have female coaches, I was just following in the steps of other female umpires,” she said.
“It’s pretty important for other females to see what they can do.”
As well as Watters-Cowan being part of the umpiring team for that match, there was a full complement of female boundary and goal umpires for the game.
Goal umpire Rachel Holmes and boundary umpire Grace Murray also made their division 1 debuts.
Watters-Cowan said she had umpired with an all female umpiring panel in the Hunter region in New South Wales which was also pretty special.
She said she wants to help inspire other umpires.
“Knowing that there’s umpires coming through that they now know, they can do it and it’s actually possible, it is great.”
Watters-Cowan umpired for eight seasons in New South Wales and has also done a season in the Northern Territory before joining the Western league.
She said Western league had been really good.
“The Hunter Central Coast has a really strong female presence, Western has a great female presence as well,” she said.
“It was a bit of a change up knowing I was one of a few that were senior field umpires. It is great to debut and all of that.”
Watters-Cowan has been doing division 2 men and division 1 reserves throughout the rest of the season.
She was also part of the league’s interleague women’s match which was another amazing experience.
“I had a few comments from players saying it was great to see a female umpire doing one of their games.”
Watters-Cowan said she wants to see how high she can take her umpiring.
“I’m in a community accelerator program in Victoria now,” she said. “That has allowed me to come to training once a month and gotten two Coates [Talent League] girls games through that program.
“In New South Wales, I was part of a next gen advanced, been part of that program for a few good years and that’s amazing as well.
“We get to have coaching with VFL [Victorian Football League] umpires, a carnival we get to go to at the end of the season.”
